


The Perils of Being Prince

by SamanthaStephens



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Crown Prince Eames - Freeform, Desperate Eames, Fairytale Kingdom - Freeform, Hard Up Eames, Inception Bingo, Inception Bingo 2016 - Freeform, M/M, Soldier Arthur, bodyguard Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-25 22:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7550257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaStephens/pseuds/SamanthaStephens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eames is hard up and desperate for sex, but his duties and obligations as crown prince are making it difficult to find fulfillment. Will hiring a new bodyguard do the trick?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perils of Being Prince

**Author's Note:**

> My Inception Bingo entry for Bodyguard AU

Eames' current situation is simply untennable. He awakens every morning and lies down every night with his skin flushed and prickly with need. He's never gone so long without in his life--not since he was sent away to school at 15 and had been initiated into the ways men amuse themselves in the absence of women.

Of course, there are no shortage of women around now that he's at court, and no one would judge the crown prince for indulging. The difficulty being that women hold no appeal for Eames and while society is willing to look the other way when it comes to the things men do in the isolation of schools and monasteries--or in the nights before and after a battle--Eames' preferences certainly would not be well received here at home.

If only his father hadn't won the blasted war just months before Eames had completed his schooling. He'd been looking forward to spending time at the front where a new pool of potential conquests would surely have been honored to share his tent or join him for a roll in the grass. It would have required a touch more delicacy than was needed amongst his school friends--particularly those in his social club, whose rituals had introduced Eames to such pleasures as a youth--but nothing insurmountable. Eames was skilled at reading the signs, at determining who was ammenabe and who was eager.

Unfortunately, his planned future as a brilliant general and great seducer of soldiers was delayed indefinitely by peacetime and he had spent the better part of a year learning governance and diplomacy at his father's side.

At least Eames is greatful that the words marriage and heirs have yet to be uttered. Too much work to be accomplished and the hand of the king's eldest son is too big of a bargaining chit to cash in early.

Nevertheless, another war is unlikely so soon, and a crown prince can't very well become a monk, so Eames had determimed that he must create his own solution.

First, he considered employing a new valet, one interested in sharing his master's recreational activities. But Jackson has been with him since boyhood and would have considered it a terrible slight. Jackson himself would, of course, do anything Eames asked of him. But he is not a monster and does not seek assignations with those who are not themselves interested, or at least curious.

Next, he proposed to his father that he join the patrol that rides the borders looking for incursions. But this had been soundly rejected. He was needed here at court.

He considered becoming devout and bringing a monk to live in the palace as his spiritual advisor, but that would leave the choice of who was sent to council the crown prince up to the monastary's rector and Eames could end up with someone who would not be interested or whose company he did not enjoy.

Eames confessed his frustrations to his dearest friend, Yusuf. They had been in the same club at school and although Yusuf preferred the company of women--indeed of one woman in particular these days, a feisty young lady named Ariadne--Eames felt no shame in discussing such things openly with him. They had laid together a few times to perform the club's ritual requirements, and both instances had been mutually fulfilling, but their friendship was more about a meeting of minds than a meeting of bodies.

Yusuf suggested that Eames obtain a bodyguard. There were no shortage of soldiers seeking work in the city, a fact that worried the king a great deal.

"I'm quite certain there's a soldier or two out there who would meet my needs nicely, but how does the crown prince, who has spent every day since his 10th year training at swordplay and archery and combat tactics, and who was supposed to command the kingdom's army from his 22nd birthday onward until victory or death, justify the need for a bodyguard?"

"You could get kidnapped?"

"Yes, I'm sure that would inspire the confidence of the people in their leadership."

"You would fight yourself free, but get injured in the process."

"And whom would I enlist to play the kidnappers? You? Are you willing to be hunted down by my family in order to assist me in finding a bed partner?"

"Point taken."

"I do like the bodyguard suggestion. A soldier returning from the front may very well have joined up in the first place to avoid the prospect of marriage, and you know well that I am skilled at identifying my own kind. But I cannot see a way to justify the need for one."

"You could be injured in a freak accident, thrown from a horse or fall from a tower."

"I am not so selfish as to risk my life for such purposes. My people may need me whole and capable of fighting should some future conflict arise. I cannot."

"You could confess your needs to your father and see if he would make some discreet arrangement on your behalf?"

"Absolutely not!"

Eames does wonder if his father had indulged in a male lover or two in his own school days. He had been selected for a different club than Eames' own, one whose rituals Eames did not know, although they were rumored to be violent.

Regardless, his father had been married to his mother for decades now and had never once strayed from her according to widely agreed upon palace gossip, despite the fact that he would be forgiven for keeping women on the side as many kings had done before him. So Eames knows that even if his father had once known a man's touch, he would not understand Eames' own longing for it to the exclusion of all other options.

And the fear of angering or disappointing him was far too great. At best, his father would remind Eames that it his own needs were not paramount and that the whole kingdom expected him to eventually marry and raise sons and daughters of his own. At worst, he would disinherit Eames and leave the kingdom to his younger brother.

No, the truth simply would not do.

But the thought of unrest from jobless soldiers gets Eames thinking. And he presents to the king the idea of the royal family employing a number of such individuals as a gesture of goodwill.

"They are restless and we don't want it to turn to anger. In the interest of encouraging the nobility and merchants to hire them, the palace could, perhaps, employ some former soldiers here as well."

"I could speak to Captain Cobb about hiring more guardsmen."

"But the merchants are often afraid to take them into their shops and homes for permanent employment, I think perhaps a more-intimate relationship is advisable, to demonstrate that they are trustworthy and can, indeed, be reintegrated into civilized society."

His father looks at him long and hard. Eames fights to keep from quaking under the scrutiny. And it seems he passes muster, because the king asks what he has in mind.

"A bodyguard of some sort, perhaps. Purely symbolic, of course. If presented properly it could be tremendously popular among both the soldiers and the merchants. And the nobility will follow any precedent we set, as well."

His father agrees to consider the proposal and Eames pretends not to care about it overmuch, refusing to bring it up again until the king does so himself.

It takes weeks. Agonizing weeks in which Eames has only his own palms to with which to stroke himself and his own fingers to slide inside himself for comfort.

But finally the king instructs Eames to investigate the unemployed soldier situation and determine whether there is a way for the royal family to demonstrate their usefulness to peacetime society.

It is now more than a personal quest for a bed companion. It is an order from his father, so Eames must do his utmost to serve his family and his country, even if it diminishes his quest for a lover.

Eames begins by speaking with Captain Cobb, who oversees the palace guard. Although his face appears guileless and boyish, Eames knows that Cobb is cunning and has an ear close to the ground as far as both city and palace gossip is concerned. It is often said that there isn't a secret within 50 miles that Captain Cobb doesn't know. Eames finds the thought chilling, but there's no help for it, he must put his personal worries aside and work with the man if he wants to impress his father.

Cobb grins when he hears Eames' idea, which he pronounces excellent, and says he knows just the people with whom to connect his prince to further this goal.

Eames wonders momentarily if Cobb knows his personal aims as well as his assigned duty to his father and their people. He comforts his fears with the knowledge that Cobb is almost as famous for his discretion as he is for his ability to gather secrets to himself like sparrows.

He forgets this suspicion until he meets Cobb's wife's cousin and his three best mates, each of whom have allegedly saved each others lives a dozen times over in daring wartime exploits.

Arthur, Saito, Robert and Nash--all four are handsome and dashing, the very ideal of sleek, military masculinity. Robert is, in fact, so lovely that even those inclined to the fairer sex would have to admit his beauty. But Arthur is the one who holds Eames' eye.

He couldn't say why, precisely. Perhaps its his rich, deep voice. Perhaps its the way the other three seem to defer to him ever so slightly. Perhaps its the amused smirk that always seems to be hiding beneath his serious expression.

A part of Eames' heart pangs that he was denied the opportunity to lead men such as these in battle. Another part thrills at the genuine awe and respect the four men show him. Clearly they are individuals who take the "fighting for king and country" part of the soldier's oath seriously.

Although his raging libido brought these men to the library of his private apartments, Eames takes his task extremely seriously and is eager to impress them and to be impressed by them in turn.

He delicately inquires after their employment prospects and the general welfare of returning soldiers throughout the city. It is as his father feared.

He proposes that they be employed at the palace in prominent, often-seen positions, in order to encourage the nobility and, most importantly, the merchants to follow suit, hopefully ensuring gainful positions for everyone.

"Your highness, with permission, might I suggest that in addition to the bodyguarding positions, you find work for those returning from the front for whom combat was not a specialty? Your highness could hire trench diggers to work the royal gardens and the cooks to work in the kitchens," Arthur suggests.

"You may call me Eames. We are all friends here, yes?"

Arthur smiles and nods and Eames' heart flutters. This hardened soldier has dimples!

"And I think it is a capital suggestion Arthur. Would the four of you be willing to work with myself and Captain Cobb to recruit and place individuals in these positions?"

They all offer hearty assent, as would be expected.

"You are all most suitable for the bodyguarding duties, of course. You'd be assigned to spend your time alongside myself and my brother and my young sister and our mother. And we'll need to find one more for my father, the king, naturally. I'm sure you will know the right fellow to select. And, of course, we wouldn't want you to be bored in such largely symbolic positions, so we would ask that you assume leadership of all the other military hires, or joint leadership in the case of any who report to Cobb here. Does that sound acceptable?"

Arthur stands from his chair and kneels before Eames, reciting the pledge of service. The others follow suit. Eames' heart sings.

Of course, he knows that Arthur should be assigned to guard the king. It is only his right as the leader of this group of brave and deadly men. Eames would not seek to deprive Arthur of such an honor.

They make arrangements for Eames and Cobb to interview another friend of theirs, Saito's cousin Tadashi, and to further strategize the next evening.

Eames and Cobb confer a bit after their departure and then Eames visits his father to report on the progress of his plan.

It is hours before he is alone in his chambers and able to imagine Arthur's nakedness beside his own, Arthur's lovely face slack with pleasure, Arthur's strong hands exploring Eames' body, Arthur's wet mouth ... his hard prick ... his long legs ... his strong forearms ... Eames loses himself in fantasy and afterward falls into a deeper slumber than he has in months.

In the following weeks, Eames is busy strategizing and planning with Cobb and the five soldiers, sometimes the full group, sometimes just he and Arthur and the captain of the guard. They grow more relaxed in his presence, until it does begin to feel as if they are a field unit and he their commander.

Eames has resigned himself to losing Arthur's services for his own person. But he takes comfort in the likelihood that they will need many strategy sessions such as these, perhaps even private ones could be arranged without Cobb's presence, if Arthur were to demonstrate an interest in such a thing occurring.

It is for the best, he tells himself. Spending days and nights on end with the same individual could get tiresome and if they quarreled there'd be no decent recourse without damaging the whole project's goodwill.

Which is why Eames is shocked almost to the point of embarrassment when Cobb asks whether the soldiers should meet the rest of Eames' family, who could then select their personal guards from amongst the group, and Nash, the quietest member, practically insists that Robert should be assigned to the king, because he comes from the most-preeminent family.

Naturally, Eames is very open to any proposal that would allow Arthur to work at his side. But for once in his life he is at a loss for how to respond to a situation. If he encourages Nash's line of thinking, he could insult Arthur, which is the last thing he would prefer to do.

His silence on the matter stretches far too long, before Saito speaks up to suggest that Tadashi, as the youngest of the group, should be assigned to Eames' sister, Carlotta.

The tension is broken and the men carry on discussing various logistical arrangements for guarding the womenfolk, who will be more in need of actual non-symbolic protection, but also more requiring of privacy.

Eames' attention wanders a bit as he contemplates how to handle the Arthur situation. He desperately wants to ask him to stay behind when the group departs, but he doesn't want to raise any suspicions of impropriety, not before he even knows whether or not there is any chance of actual impropriety.

He settles for sending a message to Arthur's inn first thing the the following morning, summoning Arthur to a private meeting.

It is the first time they have ever been alone together, a fact of which Eames is acutely aware when Arthur arrives.

"How may I serve your highness?" Arthur asks, flustered enough by the new circumstances to resort to formality.

"Eames, please. No need for all that in this private place."

He gestures for Arthur to sit beside him at the hearth.

"I wanted to ask you about Nash's suggestion that Robert serve as my father's man. I had assumed all this time that task would fall to you."

"Your hi ... Eames, forgive us. We discussed it amongst ourselves and determined that the highest born of us was best fit to serve so closely to our king."

"But the men defer to you. Don't deny it. You may not be their formal leader, but I have eyes."

Arthur gives a little nod of acknowledgment and he looks so beautiful that Eames feels pain in his chest.

"It is as you say. They do look to me. I don't want to presume, but since we have worked so closely together to find and hire the right people for work at the palace, I had thought you might prefer to continue that relationship where the staff reports to us and the men report to me and I to you."

He looks at Eames straight on, almost challenging him, but it isn't defiant so much as it is trusting. The tiniest flush stains Arthur's cheeks and he looks more lovely than ever.

"I shouldn't want you to feel insulted, Arthur. And I shouldn't want my father to feel so either."

Arthur bites his lip. Eames, who had always felt so sure of himself when it comes to undestanding another man's interest and intent, is caught on the back foot. He isn't certain whether Arthur is looking for an excuse to stay paired with Eames, or embarrassed by having missed the implications of this plan.

"How will it look to my father and the rest of the kingdom if I keep the best man for myself?"

"I am not the best man. The five of us are equals."

"Then why do the others report to you and not Robert?"

Arthur drops his gaze to the floor. It's the tell Eames needs. If he truly felt Robert's familial standing were of supreme importance, then he would have stood his ground on the issue. He is manipulating the situation to pair himself with Eames and his men are assisting him in it, which raises a number of possible complications, none of which Eames cares to deal with just now. 

"If you are the leader of these men, then you will still report to me, even if your days are spent by my father's side when he is in public. And we will still have the need for private meetings such as these, in which to discuss everything and everyone under your care."

It pains Eames to offer this, to lose the chance of having unfettered access to Arthur. But he knows it is the right choice. Being a leader means sacrifice. And he must honor his father above all else.

"My father also requires me to be at his side for many hours of the day, assisting with diplomatic efforts, learning the fine details of governance," he adds. "So it is not as if we will not see plenty of one another. But tell me, Arthur, why is it that you are so concerned about spending time with me?"

Eames stands, which means Arthur must, too, according to protocol, a habit Eames will have to break him of in the future, although it works to his advantage at the moment.

"Tell me," he asks, but he keeps any demand out of his voice, which he allows to turn just shy of pleading as he steps into Arthur's space.

They are of a height and Arthur looks at Eames and his eyes are full of fear, but also of longing.

"I ... I ... Your highness ... Eames ... I am afraid to say why," Arthur stammers.

Eames steps closer, so their toes are nearly touching, "then show me, Arthur," he says, not without a tiny hitch in his own voice.

With a trembling hand, Arthur reaches out and strokes Eames' cheek and then his hair. He stares at Eames for a long time, what feels like an eternity, before he leans forward and presses his lips to Eames' own. Groaning, Eames finally reaches out to pull Arthur close.

There is still so much unsaid between them, so many unanswered questions. But all of it can wait. Eames needs to luxuriate in this moment. Needs to feel Arthur's body against his and think of nothing else for a short while.


End file.
